The Mad Princess's Tale of Doom and Survival

  Startled, I pounced on the man who had hesitated and started running late.

 

  As I settled on top of the fallen man’s chest, I felt a rather thick and solid chest.

 

  “Is he a knight?”

 

  His forearms were thick, and his whole body was sturdy. It was a highly trained physique.

 

  “Let’s start with personal information. Who are you?”

 

“…”

 

  “Oh, exercising your right to remain silent on the verge of almost killing someone, huh?”

 

“…”

 

  I pressed my forearm against his wrist, immobilizing it, and pressed my fingers firmly below his collarbone.

 

  Even though it would be quite painful, the man didn’t resist much.

 

  It wasn’t because he didn’t have the strength to resist. He hesitated because he was afraid of hurting me in his violent struggles.

 

  “You think you’re going easy on me because I’m a woman? Well, then, I should be grateful. It makes torturing you easier.”

 

“…”

 

  “If you keep resisting, your collarbone might break, you know?”

 

“…”

 

  “Don’t you understand the situation? Do you think I’m engaging in such acts without knowing your weaknesses?”

 

“…”

 

  The weakness of the masked individual was, of course, his face.

 

  I didn’t stay still because I didn’t know it.

 

  I just didn’t want to go that far since he didn’t seem like such a bad person.

 

  “Alright, shall we have a friendly conversation while looking at each other’s faces?”

 

  With a smirk, I grabbed the edge of his mask.

 

  Finally, the man who had been silent all along let out a hurried cry.

 

  “Just a moment!”

 

“…”

 

  Unconsciously, my hand stopped. That’s how captivating the man’s voice was.

 

  Perhaps to avoid being recognized, he had altered his voice, making it sound awkward, but it was a very pure baritone.

 

  Even without paying much attention, the sound naturally adhered to my eardrums.

 

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know the monster would flee in that direction. I’m truly sorry. It’s rather audacious of me to make such a request considering I’m the one who committed the offense, but please don’t remove the mask. I’ll take responsibility for everything else.”

 

  “Hmm…”

 

  The man was extremely polite. My heart was unintentionally swayed by his handsome voice.

 

  As the influence from my previous life, where I had lost my senses, took hold, my gluttony arose, and I became weak to things that were pretty.

 

  “Seems like I’ve become weak to pretty voices too.”

 

  I swallowed a sigh and removed my hand from the man’s collarbone.

 

  “If you could speak, then why didn’t you?”

 

  “I had unavoidable circumstances…”

 

  After hesitating for a while, the man cautiously spoke.

 

  “I, I apologize for saying this, but if you’ve calmed down, could you please get up? Um, it’s, um, a bit of an embarrassing position, that’s all.”

 

  The man’s neck exposed beneath the mask must have been uncomfortable.

 

  I thought he had endured the pain, but it turned out he was just embarrassed.

 

  “Hah.”

 

  I let out a heavy sigh.

 

  “People got hurt because of you. What are you going to do about it?”

 

  “I’ll give you healing potions.”

 

  “How many?”

 

  “W-Well, I only have one right now.”

 

  “Just one? And you expect me to stick it on someone’s nose right away? Show me your compensation.”

 

  “I… I don’t have any money.”

 

  “Points, then.”

 

  “E-Even that…”

 

  “You’ve already spent it all?”

 

  “Well… There were a lot of interesting things at the store.”

 

  It seemed like as soon as he received the points, he happily went and bought things without even knowing what he could use.

 

  “This is why low-level players don’t make it. You don’t even know the value of points. Tsk, tsk.”

 

  “So, are you saying you’re broke now?”

 

  “Yes…”

 

  “Hah, this is a joke right in front of my face. If you had caught a monster, you would have obtained its core!”

 

  “…”

 

  “At least give me that.”

 

  “…Here it is.”

 

  The man carefully took out a core from his pocket and handed it to me.

 

  I grabbed the core with my fingertips and pointed it at his chin.

 

  “I also need a carriage to return. The one I came on is in bad shape.”

 

  “I’ll go get one right away. If, um, if you could just get up…”

 

  “How can I trust you? If I let you go, you might run away, you know?”

 

  “I absolutely won’t run away, but I understand if you don’t trust me. Yes, I get it. Then… um, would you come with me?”

 

  “If he’s saying it like that, he probably won’t run away.”

 

  Finally, he stood up from the man’s chest.

 

  Then, as if he had been shot, the man quickly ran off and returned, pulling a rented carriage behind him.

 

  Compared to the carriages of the Luteous family, it was more like a luggage cart, but it was enough to take us to the mansion.

 

  “What if I hadn’t given permission and you just left? I could have thought you were running away and thrown a rock at your head.”

 

  “I was in a hurry… I’m sorry.”

 

  “What about the potions?”

 

  “Here they are.”

 

  The man politely handed me the potions.

 

  I returned to the carriage and gave the healing potion to Genia.

 

  “Genia, drink this.”

 

  Genia, who was crouched in a corner of the carriage, trembling, drank the potion eagerly, as if it were water.

 

  Then, as if something got stuck in her throat, she coughed violently.

 

  “Urgh! Cough, cough!”

 

  In the meantime, the bruises that had been all over her body gradually disappeared.

 

  Not only that, but the trembling stopped, and her previously unsettled gaze became calm.

 

  It seemed that the man had given her a rather effective potion.

 

  I lifted Genia up and pulled her out of the carriage.

 

  “Lady, what happened here? Why did the carriage suddenly…”

 

  “It was just an accident.”

 

  “What?”

 

  “There was something like that. For now, let’s move to that carriage and get in.”

 

  I turned my head after seeing Genia getting into the new carriage.

 

  The man who had been watching them bowed his waist. He was much further away than before.

 

  Although the matter was not yet resolved, I didn’t feel like going after them again. Even if I caught them, it didn’t seem like it would lead to anything better.

 

   Duke Luteous’s carriage was indeed damaged, but I didn’t want to hold them responsible to that extent.

 

  “The steward will take care of such matters.”

 

  I shook my head helplessly and climbed into the carriage. Finally, the carriage creaked and started moving.

 

  That was when I realized the fatal mistake I had made.

 

  ‘Fuck it, I should have torn it apart more.’

 

  The ride was unbearable.

 

  When we arrived at the mansion due to the carriage accident, the sun had completely set.

 

  “Uh, uh? What’s going on? Wait! Just a moment! What are you doing right now!”

 

  Genia, who was the first to get off the carriage, was startled and ran towards the annex. It seemed like something urgent had happened.

 

  I got off the carriage but stopped in my tracks.

 

  “Ah… Why is everything like this today?”

 

  The annex, which had been perfectly fine until morning, partially collapsed.

 

  The missing wall revealed the second floor, where my bedroom was clearly visible.

 

  As I silently observed the drastically changed annex, I turned my head at the sound of hoofbeats.

 

  Colin, the Duke’s aide, approached hesitantly with a horse in tow.

 

  “Lady…”

 

  “Is that Duke’s order?”

 

  “Yes, he instructed you to come to the main residence…”

 

  I twisted the corner of my mouth. He destroyed the annex as a warning and retaliation for refusing to move to the main residence?

 

  It was a warning and a revenge for refusing to comply with his wishes, no matter what it took.

 

  “I thought he was just a cold-hearted person, but it seems he has quite a fierce side, doesn’t he?”

 

  I snatched the reins from Colin’s hands.

 

  With a light pull and a quick mount, the horse startled and reared.

 

  “Whoa, whoa. Easy there.”

 

  I patted its mane gently to calm it down and urged it forward.

 

  “Hyah!”

 

  As I arrived at the main residence, my mind in turmoil, I handed the reins to the bewildered servant and rushed inside without hesitation.

 

  “Lady Astel, have you arrived? Lord Duke is currently busy… Lady Astel? You can’t just go in as you please! Lady Astel!”

 

  Avoiding the grasping Frank, I swung open the door to the study.

 

  “Duke!”

 

  Duke Luteous, who was reviewing documents, gestured to the chair opposite him.

 

  His demeanor was casual, as if he had known in advance that I would come.

 

  “Take a seat.”

 

  “I’ll stand.”

 

  “What’s the matter? I’m in the middle of reviewing contracts.”

 

  “Why are you doing this? You know why I came all the way here.”

 

  Only then did Duke Luteous lift his gaze from the documents.

 

  I straightened my back.

 

  “You’ve destroyed the annex. Without even discussing it with me.”

 

  “I don’t understand why your opinion is necessary. It’s me who’s removing a part of my own house.”

 

  “Well, in that case, I guess I’ll just leave this house. I can’t sleep on the streets, after all. Thank you. I’ve been wanting to leave anyway.”

 

  “There’s no need for that. The only thing left is the bedroom.I’ll give you one.”

 

  “Why are you suddenly saying that? Have you taken an interest in being a father?”

 

 Duke Luteous, trembling with anger, abruptly set aside the documents.

 

  “It seems you’re searching for a way to measure the strength of hunters from Magic Tower. Soon, when your individual powers are revealed, many people will take notice of you. Most of them will be those who dislike you.”

 

  I shrugged nonchalantly.

 

  “Well, that’s no surprise. So what?”

 

  “Now, as a Lady, you must maintain your dignity. Do not allow any weaknesses. It means not providing any openings for attack.”

 

  “I don’t see how that’s related to demolishing the annex.”

 

  “It’s not a good sight for others to see the Lady living in a messy annex while her main residence remains intact.”

 

  “But it was you, Duke, who placed me in that messy annex.”

 

  “The circumstances have changed.”

 

  “You should speak clearly. It’s not the circumstances that have changed, but rather my worth. Since you, Duke, judge people based on their value.”

 

  Despite the harsh criticism, the expression on Duke Luteous’s face remained unchanged.

 

  Like reading a book, the resolute voice of the unwavering Duke Lutieous continued.